This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Dear Carolyn • My 30-year-old daughter, who lives in another state, has informed me she and her husband are ready to start a family and have stopped using birth control. However, they both drink socially, sometimes fairly heavily. My daughter has mentioned that her doctor says light drinking during pregnancy is OK. I expressed my concern, once, and sent her some information about the effects of alcohol on a fetus at various stages, including in early pregnancy, to which she didn't respond. And I continue to see postings on Facebook of my daughter enjoying wine, beer, Bloody Marys, martinis. … This would be my first grandchild and I don't want to start out being overbearing and opinionated. But I remember how careful I was when I was pregnant and am concerned she may cause permanent harm to her baby. What, if anything, is my responsibility here?
Concerned mother
Dear Concerned • Overbearing, check; opinionated, check. Your heart is in the right place but your actions crossed the line. Voicing your concern was a natural response to a mom-to-be-to-be who posts cocktail selfies on Facebook. Sending the article, though, was the shot across the bow by someone who'd rather indulge her own fears than respect a boundary. It warned your daughter that, in your eyes, she's either ignorant about fetal health or too irresponsible to act on what she knows. Crossing that line once is certainly forgivable, but now you've got to rein yourself in or risk being That Grandma. I'm not unsympathetic. The position you're in is one of the toughest ones going: You're generally correct, specifically unsure, largely powerless, and the stakes are high. Trying to assert control is not the answer, though. Your responsibilities are limited to assessing what you actually know; weighing the potential benefit of action versus the risk either of inaction or of offending; and understanding that your reach into the life of another adult is at her pleasure. Since you've said (and sent) your piece, please consider your to-do list exhausted. Now your focus needs to shift to being the person she can trust not to get into her business.
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